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156 Results for Collaborations

Collaborations

Screening the Jump-stARter Library for Antimalarial Drug Discovery

Johnson & Johnson has provided Drs. Audrey Odom John and Paul Hruz at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) with its Jump-stARter library to screen against Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly species of malaria parasite. Drs. Odom John and Hruz have developed a novel platform to selectively screen compounds’ ability to inhibit parasite glucose transport.

Ampli Blocks for Onchocerciasis Disgnostic Development

Dr. Stephen Ghogomu at the University of Buea has identified two proteins as potential biomarkers for adult-stage onchocerciasis. To support his diagnostic development, Dr. Jose Gomez-Marquez and Dr. Kimberly Hamad Schifferli at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have shared Ampli Blocks, a platform for diagnostic development. Dr. Ghogomu will use these blocks as a platform to develop an onchocerciasis diagnostic device.

The Ampli Block kit includes a set of 40 different building blocks that enable lab workers around the world to assemble them in different ways to produce diagnostic devices. By supplementing the engineering of diagnostic development, Ampli Blocks allow researchers to focus on the biochemistry of detection and promote independent development of site-specific diagnostic devices.

Sharing of Artefenomel-like Trioxolane Analogs for Microsome Stability Testing

Artemisinin combination therapy (ACT) is the standard of care in treating uncomplicated malaria, while newer synthetic endoperoxides like artefenomel are being actively studied in clinical trials. Adam Renslo, in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is exploring artefenomel-like trioxolane analogs bearing a novel substitution pattern that may deliver improved physiochemical properties. To assist the Renslo Lab in driving this program toward clinical candidate selection, Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) is supporting the Renslo Lab in assessing the solubility, lipophilicity, and metabolic stability of frontrunner compounds using appropriate in vitro ADME assays. The resulting data will be a key factor in the selection of the best analogs for further in vivo evaluation. Given the extent of work and progress in the endoperoxide area, new compounds will only be of interest if their pharmacokinetics and potency support very low single dose potential with no alteration of parasite clearance between sensitive and resistant parasites. These early studies will help to assess the Renslo Lab compounds against this high bar.

Expertise Sharing for Alternate Administration of Antimalarial Candidate

Dr. Audrey Odom John (Washington University in St. Louis) and Dr. Cynthia Dowd (The George Washington University) identified an antimalarial drug candidate with a novel, parasite-specific target. The investigators have explored various solutions to improve the compound’s pharmacokinetic properties, including administration in a patch formulation. BVGH coordinated a call between Dr. Odom John, Dr. Dowd, and a Pfizer scientist with expertise in transdermal drug delivery to help assess the feasibility of this approach for the compound.

A Pfizer scientist with expertise in transdermal drug delivery shared advice on the feasibility of a transdermal delivery for the investigators’ antimalarial drug candidate and helped suggest next steps for development.

Identification of New Inhibitors of Trypanosoma cruzi Enzymes

In an effort to develop novel drugs against Chagas disease, Dr. Artur Cordeiro at the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio) has identified chemical scaffolds that have shown activity against two promising targets and efficacy against the parasite’s intracellular form. In order to identify additional inhibitors or novel chemical scaffolds with activity against both Trypanosoma cruzi enzymes, Dr. Cordeiro will be working with Novartis as part of their Facilitated Access to Screening Technologies (FAST) Lab program to screen several of Novartis’ proprietary compounds against these two targets to identify tool compounds for structure-based drug discovery.

Evaluation of Bactericidal Activity of TB47 Against Clinical M. Ulcerans Strains In Vitro

Buruli ulcer is a debilitating and stigmatizing disease, and affects mainly children in West and Central Africa. It is a chronic condition that results in skin lesions and can lead to permanent disability and disfigurement. Dr. Tianyu Zhang, Principal Investigator and Director of the National Key Laboratory for Respiratory Diseases at Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), is exploring the bactericidal activity of the antibiotic candidate TB47 against Buruli ulcer. He will send the TB47 candidate to Professor Fabrice Boyom at the University of Yaoundé I for further testing against clinical Mycobacterium ulcerans strains.

172 Results for Assets

Assets

Vector for recombinant poxvirus expressing rabies virus glycoprotein
The present invention is related to a viral vaccine against rabies and use of the virus for producing rabiesvirus immunobiologicals. More particularly, the present invention is related to a genetically engineered plasmid vector that has been used to construct a unique vaccinia poxvirus infectious recombinant for expressing in animals or in tissue cultures part or all of the gene for rabiesvirus glycoprotein. Such a recombinant employing vaccinia or other poxviruses, could be used for production of rabies vaccine, live or inactivated, as well as for production of rabiesvirus glycoprotein antigen, antibody or other related biochemical or immunological reagents.
Peptidomimetic inhibitors of cathepsin and plasmepsins I and II
The invention relates to the design and synthesis of linear and cyclic inhibitors of cathepsin D and plasmepsins I and II. The present invention also relates to the uses of these inhibitors for inhibiting invasion and metastasis of cancerous cells. It also covers the use of cathepsin D and plasmepsin I and II inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and malaria. NIH Internal Reference no E-221-1994/0-US-01; US Patent Application no 08/603,737; E-221-1994/0-AU-03; AU Patent Application no 21368/97;E-221-1994/0-CA-04; CA Patent Application no 2246758; E-221-1994/0-EP-05; EP Patent Application no 97906763.4; E-221-1994/0-JP-06; JP Patent Application no 9-529609; The invention relates to the design and synthesis of linear and cyclic inhibitors of cathepsin D and plasmepsins I and II. The present invention also relates to the uses of these inhibitors for inhibiting invasion and metastasis of cancerous cells. It also covers the use of cathepsin D and plasmepsin I and II inhibitors for the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and malaria.
Antigenic Proteins of Plasmodium
The present invention relates to DNA sequences encoding merozoite antigen proteins of simian or simian-like species of Plasmodium suitable for use as vaccines against malarial infections in humans and animals. The invention also relates to recombinant DNA molecules that include such sequences and to cells transformed therewith.
Monomeric and Dimeric Arylisoquinoline Alkaloids and Derivatives Thereof
The technology describes an exceptionally broad universe of novel naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid compounds, and methods of total synthesis thereof. These compounds have been shown to have potent in vitro activity against malaria parasites, including parasites that are highly resistant to available antimalarial drugs. These compounds have also been shown to have potent in vivo activity against malaria parasites in animal models. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, as well as methods of using the compounds to treat or prevent a malarial infection of a host, are claimed. NIH Internal Reference no E-200-1994/0-US-01, US Patent Application no 08/279,291, US Patent no 5,552,550; E-200-1994/0-US-02, US Patent Application no 08/674,362, US Patent no 5,763,613; E-200-1994/2-US-01, US Patent Application no 09/001,801, US Patent no 6,140,339; E-200-1994/2-US-08, US Patent Application no 09/527,002, US Patent no 6,331,630; E-200-1994/2-AU-04, AU Patent Application no 24496/99; E-200-1994/2-BR-05, BR Patent Application no 9814575-4; E-200-1994/2-CA-06, CA Patent Application no 2313487; E-200-1994/2-EP-07, EP Patent Application no 98966748.0, EP Patent no 1045837; E-200-1994/2-IN-03, IN Patent Application no 2000/00143/CHE; E-200-1994/1-AU-02, AU Patent Application no 31969/95, AU Patent no 709428; E-200-1994/1-CA-03, CA Patent Application no 2195647; E-200-1994/1-JP-05, JP Patent Application no 505844/1996; E-200-1994/1-EP-06, EP Patent Application no 03005979.4; follwoing EP patents share same EP Patent Application no 95928091.8 and same EP Patent no 0772595: E-200-1994/1-EP-04, E-200-1994/1-AT-07, E-200-1994/1-DE-08, E-200-1994/1-BE-09, E-200-1994/1-DK-10, E-200-1994/1-ES-11, E-200-1994/1-GR-12, E-200-1994/1-IT-13, E-200-1994/1-LU-14, E-200-1994/1-MC-15, E-200-1994/1-NL-16, E-200-1994/1-PT-17, E-200-1994/1-SE-18, E-200-1994/1-FR-19. The technology describes an exceptionally broad universe of novel naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid compounds, and methods of total synthesis thereof. These compounds have been shown to have potent in vitro activity against malaria parasites, including parasites that are highly resistant to available antimalarial drugs. These compounds have also been shown to have potent in vivo activity against malaria parasites in animal models. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, as well as methods of using the compounds to treat or prevent a malarial infection of a host, are claimed.
ANTIMALARIAL NAPHTHYLISOQUINOLINE ALKALOIDS AND PHARMACEUTICAL COMPOSITIONS AND MEDICAL USES THEREOF
The subject technology are novel naphthylisoquinoline alkaloid compounds, and methods of total synthesis thereof. Representative examples of these compounds have been shown to have potent in vitro activity against malaria parasites, including parasites that are highly resistant to available antimalarial drugs. Representative examples have also been shown to have potent in vivo activity against malaria parasites in animal models. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds, as well as methods of using the compounds to treat or prevent a malarial infection of a host, are claimed. The relative structural simplicity of this class of compounds, and the ready synthetic access thereto, provide unprecedented opportunities for structure-activity relationship (SAR), lead-optimization and antimalarial drug development.
Plasmodium Falciparum Erythrocyte Binding Protein Baebl For Use as a Vaccine
Malaria is endemic in many parts of the world, particularly in tropical regions such as Asia, Central America and South America. Recent estimates of the number of cases of malaria worldwide are between five hundred million and one billion. There are approximately two to three hundred million new cases of malaria each year and malaria causes a minimum of one million deaths each year. This invention relates to the identification and characterization of the binding specificity of BAEBL, a novel Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte binding ligand that interacts with human erythrocytes in a sialic acid dependent manner. This novel Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte binding ligand is unique and quite distinct from previously described Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte binding proteins EBA-175. BAEBL may be used as a malaria vaccine to block human red cell recognition and invasion.